Jack Hodgins comes from an extremely wealthy family of Swedish descent (as hinted by Angela in season two), and is the sole heir to the fictional private corporation known as the Cantilever Group, although he hid his wealth from his coworkers for a long time. He is the single largest donor to the Jeffersonian, although he would rather toil in academia than spend time in the high social society to which his wealth entitles him.

Hodgins, like Zack, was bullied in school: in elementary and middle school for being a "rich boy" and in high school for his small physical stature and diminished social skills. It is later noted that he "managed to stand up for himself" on the last day of senior year, which Sweets believes gave him closure.

Hodgins drives an original Mini, although in later seasons he was seen driving a Toyota Prius as well. He is an experienced cave diver.

Although a noted conspiracy theorist, Hodgins abandoned his paranoid thoughts and beliefs after it was revealed his best friend, Zack Addy, had become the most recent apprentice to a cannibalistic serial killer known as "Gormogon", due in part to Hodgins' complaints about secret societies potentially making Zach more susceptible to Gormogon's influence. Devastated by his best friend's poor judgment, as well as his recent break-up with Angela, Hodgins found his beliefs and feelings of paranoia turning into misanthropy. After being repeatedly confronted by Sweets about his behavior in the lab, Hodgins explained during a session that he "hates everybody". Sweets determines that the misanthropy was a way to cope with the overwhelming stresses in his life, and assured him that it will turn into something more pleasant in time.